Office Feng Shui: Unconventional Ideas for Your Space

2017 will see a lot of new trends, especially in office environments. Some of these trends have companies around the globe rethinking the layout of their offices in order to yield the best productivity. If you or your employees are feeling drained and your brain gets foggy throughout the day, try adapting some of these trending office layouts.

Where to Place Your Desk

Actual Feng Shui practices show that even your desk has an important place in your office. You’ll want to point your desk in the “power position” in order to maintain positivity and authority. According to Feng Shui, you should always have your desk set in a way where you can see your door. This way, you will be able to see opportunity as it comes through your career.

Storage Design

Office design is crucial to the atmosphere and culture of a company. Functional furniture and storage cabinets have to match the aesthetic of the office just as any desks and chairs do. To blend your storage furniture a bit, you can use small cabinets as office dividers in an open area, or turn them into a functional seating feature.

Flexible Layouts

As technology continues to grow and change at a rapid pace, so should your office. This is not to say that you need to remodel your office every couple of months, but moreso to say that your office should be adaptable for any amount of layouts necessary. If the budget is tight, your offices could double as work event spaces, seminar classes, and large meetings. Having an open concept will help keep this flexibility in your office.

How to Feng Shui Your Desk

If you’re looking to get a little clarity at your desk, Feng Shui uses a great layout designed to give you good energy and mental openness. By dividing your desk space up in the 9 sections outlined by the Feng Shui bagua map, you’ll be able to add functional and personal items to your desk that will promote productivity. A few of these steps include adding some greenery to the top left corner of your desk, a photo of a loved one in the right corner, or keeping an agenda near your mouse in the bottom right corner.

Office Wellness Areas

One of the biggest trends in recent years is adding a wellness space to your offices. Mental and physical wellness is extremely important for your employees. To keep a good energy and to promote overall wellness, adding bright and open, yet private, spaces will help to clear the mind, while physical wellness can be taken a step further by offering gym spaces and smart kitchens.

While these ideas may seem a bit unconventional, they will help you to optimize your office space for the highest productivity rates possible. By pushing the boundaries and trying a new style, the entire nature of your office can change. If you’re looking to remodel your space this year, you’ll want to keep this tips in mind.

James B. Rutland is the CEO and founder of MMR Group, the United States' largest privately owned electric and instrumentation business. Rutland received a Bachelor of Science in Construction Technology and Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1972 and founded MMR in 1991.